Shavuot

Shavuot is all about cheese and wine , therefore Ashkelon hosted a national Wine festival on the 26th and 27th of May . I went yesterday with a friend and we had a great time. About 20 different Israeli wineries presented their best wines. At the entrance each guest got a wine glass that you can fill and re-fill with different sorts of wine. It was a beautiful evening , around the Holiday-Inn swimming pool , a breeze from the sea and the wine . A singer was singing Israeli music. What more does a person need ? After tasting about 7 diffrent kinds ,being a big wine drinker as I an, I went home with a great Olive oil bottle . Hag Shavuot Sameach!

Hibuki ("Hug Me") Dolls for Kindergarten kids

Teacher demonstrating how Hibuki gives you a nice warm hug and can be carried around.

1200 kindergarden children in Ashkelon will receive specially made Hibuki dolls.

The kindergarden teachers were trained by JDC professionals how to work with the kids and help them cope with fear and stress . Most of the Ashkelon kindergardens are not sheltered and during Cast Lead operation the kids and teachers all stayed at home , the kindergardens were closed. Once life went back to normal the teachers had to deal with the results of the diffcult times the kids had during the missile attacks on Ashkelon.

Now with the dolls and trained staff , thanks to the IEC funds that were raised in Baltimore during the war, the kids will have a way to help overcome their fears.

Barry Bogage in Ashkelon

Barry Bogage with Mayor Benny Vaknin and map of the city of Ashkelon (above)

Barry Bogage visiting the recipient of a small business loan - bridal store and wedding dress maker (see above).

Barry Bogage , from MIDC, and the chair of the Economic development committee in our partnership, visited Ashkelon. We started the day visiting one of our small business  loan recipients "Kala Levana" ( "White bride") . The owner and the spirit behind this beautiful dress and bridal gown shop is Luda , a 60 year old talented wedding dress and gown designer.

Luda is an immigrant form FSU , who lives in Ashkelon since she made Aliya to Israel , about 10 years ago with her husband and daughter . For years she was working at home and 2 years ago , with a loan she got from our project, she moved to a store downtown and had 2 women working with her. 

She has  just moved to a new , bigger store where she has a working area where 4 women are working with her. At her age, a bank would never approved a loan for her so the Partnership was her only chance to make her dream come true. During the war a lot of events were canceled , but right after it was over people wanted to celebrate again , and since you only get married once as Luda says , you want this to be a night to remember .

Looking at the beautiful collection of dresses she has we all felt that this is exactly what we had in mind when we created our fund.

Sue Liebman Visits Us

Sue Liebman was in Ashkelon for two days this week. Along with Sigal Ariely, she met with Mayor Benny Vaknin, with Eli Dayan - Director of Keren Ashkelon, and with Galit Amzallag, Director of International relations, all of whom have just returned from their visit to Baltimore. Here Sue meets with Deputy Mayor Shlomo Cohen, and Alan Marcus, together with Sigal.

Another meeting, this time with Dafna Biton, Head of AMEN (Ashkelon's Youth Volunteers).

Home again

Shalom to all my friends. I'm back home after 8 days visit to Baltimore with our new Mayor's delagation. I landed the morning of Yom Hazikaron , and asked the taxi driver to wait till I drop my lugguage at home and take me directly to my daughter's school - the Art school.

Every year I go there for the Yom Hazikaron ceremony. This year it was even more important for me to be there. It's the ceremony that the senior class of that year are doing. This year it was my daughter's class.

In a couple of months they will all be soldiers! I know these kids since 1st grade. Looking at them reading Izkor for fallen IDF soldiers made us all cry. These young men and women, now 18 years old, and my daughter among them, are our future army. Hard to get it....

Yom HaZikaron Ceremony at the Art School

My daughter Shir and and the Senior Class during the Ceremony

Hadar Madnick, future Shinshin, taking part in the Yom HaZikaron Ceremony